Little Women - 912 Freedom Library

Little Womenremember his manners, so the second interview was muchmore comfortable than the first.‘We’ll take this (editors never say I), if you don’t objectto a few alterations. It’s too long, but omitting the passagesI’ve marked will make it just the right length,’ he said, in abusinesslike tone.Jo hardly knew her own MS again, so crumpled andunderscored were its pages and paragraphs, but feeling as atender patent might on being asked to cut off her baby’slegs in order that it might fit into a new cradle, she lookedat the marked passages and was surprised to find that all themoral reflections—which she had carefully put in as ballastfor much romance—had been stricken out.‘But, Sir, I thought every story should have some sortof a moral, so I took care to have a few of my sinnersrepent.’Mr. Dashwoods’s editorial gravity relaxed into a smile,for Jo had forgotten her ‘friend’, and spoken as only anauthor could.‘People want to be amused, not preached at, youknow. Morals don’t sell nowadays.’ Which was not quite acorrect statement, by the way.‘You think it would do with these alterations, then?’609 of 861